# Movies you have watched with low expectations only to be surprised by how much you like them. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 21, 2014, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-have-watched-with-low-expectations-only-to-be-surprised-by-how-much-you-like-them/686609 "2014-04-21T14:37:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-have-watched-with-low-expectations-only-to-be-surprised-by-how-much-you-like-them/686609/121 "2014-05-01T21:46:32Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > former Playmates … Adrienne Barbeau FWIW, I’ve been through the “List[s] of people in Playboy” linked to [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Playboy_magazine#Celebrities) and can find no indication that Adrienne Barbeau ever posed for Playboy. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-have-watched-with-low-expectations-only-to-be-surprised-by-how-much-you-like-them/686609/122 "2014-05-01T22:23:34Z")
According to the esteemed website _Boobpedia_, there was never a pictorial, although she was at least referenced in one of their “Sex in the Cinema” articles in 1982. She apparently did pose for _High Society_ however. NSFW link: http: // [Adrienne Barbeau - Boobpedia - Encyclopedia of big boobs](http://www.boobpedia.com/boobs/Adrienne_Barbeau) ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-have-watched-with-low-expectations-only-to-be-surprised-by-how-much-you-like-them/686609/123 "2014-05-01T22:35:35Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > This is one of the winners of the thread. We all accept that it’s a great movie now, but it looked like a terrible idea before it came out. > > Guillermo Del Toro talked about it on NPR as one of the truly great movie of the last few decades. His point is how hard it is to make funny comedies that remain funny over and over and through time. > > He’s kind of right. Speaking of del Toro, I was amazed at just how clever _Pacific Rim_ was. Everything - the plot, the characters, the dilaogue - was so perfectly stylised to make the perfect live–action cartoon. I was expecting dumb but fun, I got smart and fun. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-have-watched-with-low-expectations-only-to-be-surprised-by-how-much-you-like-them/686609/124 "2014-05-01T22:51:21Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > Another one for me that always stuck was **Joe Dirt**. A poorly reviewed movie that was excoriated for bottom-of-the-barrel comedy and blah blah. When I watched it I noticed very little potty humor, relatively funny witty stuff, and at the end of the day it was a movie with a LOT of heart, a good message, and a happy ending. > > I am always pleasantly surprised when I see it on cable. Well at least there’s 2 of us 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-have-watched-with-low-expectations-only-to-be-surprised-by-how-much-you-like-them/686609/125 "2014-05-02T00:19:54Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > I second this recommendation, with the caveat that the story does kinda fall apart towards the end, falling prey to the need for having twist upon twist upon twist until you have no clue what’s really going on. Frailty only had a single twist at the end. ---
**Author:** ![diggerwam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/919ad9/32.png) [@diggerwam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diggerwam)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-have-watched-with-low-expectations-only-to-be-surprised-by-how-much-you-like-them/686609/126 "2014-05-02T00:28:13Z")
First Austin Powers movie. I was convinced it was going to be shit, but it was a free preview so the theatre was packed. Laughed non stop. BTW, read Fight Club, better than the movie with a better ending. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2014, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-have-watched-with-low-expectations-only-to-be-surprised-by-how-much-you-like-them/686609/127 "2014-05-03T05:08:09Z")
> [@diggerwam](#): > > BTW, read Fight Club, better than the movie with a better ending. The author of Fight Club actually disagrees with you. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2014, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-have-watched-with-low-expectations-only-to-be-surprised-by-how-much-you-like-them/686609/128 "2014-05-03T07:42:52Z")
> [@Southern\_Yankee](#): > > According to the esteemed website _Boobpedia_, there was never a pictorial, although she was at least referenced in one of their “Sex in the Cinema” articles in 1982. She apparently did pose for _High Society_ however. I doubt very much she posed for High Society. Back in the seventies, High Society’s gimmick was that it would print stills of celebrity nude scenes. So if Barbeau had done a nude scene anywhere in a movie or play, she would later appear in High Society without ever having intended to do so. ---
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2014, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-have-watched-with-low-expectations-only-to-be-surprised-by-how-much-you-like-them/686609/129 "2014-05-03T14:43:22Z")
**The Wolf of Wall Street** ; I was expecting an overlong, bloated, morality tale. What I got was a three hour laughter fest, brilliantly directed and with great performances from every actor. The second viewing, the following night, was just as amusing. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2014, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-have-watched-with-low-expectations-only-to-be-surprised-by-how-much-you-like-them/686609/130 "2014-05-03T14:50:27Z")
_Clerks_, when it first came out and before it developed a rep. ---
**Author:** ![DZedNConfused](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dzednconfused/32/15991_2.png) [@DZedNConfused](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DZedNConfused)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2014, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-have-watched-with-low-expectations-only-to-be-surprised-by-how-much-you-like-them/686609/131 "2014-05-03T15:54:23Z")
> [@Suburban\_Plankton](#): > > Also, **Big Trouble in Little China** …I was expecting some dumb kung-fu flick. Which, to some extent, it was. But that didn’t stop it from being great fun! A couple of friends dragged me to it, when it hit the dollar theaters. I was really surprised at how much fun the movie was ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2014, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-have-watched-with-low-expectations-only-to-be-surprised-by-how-much-you-like-them/686609/132 "2014-05-03T17:51:34Z")
> [@diggerwam](#): > > First Austin Powers movie. Same here. When it first came out, I did not want to see it at all, ever. In fact, I had my choice to see that one in the theater or Batman and Robin (which came out and was in the theaters around the same time—had to have been, since I had the choice between seeing those two). I chose to see Batman and Robin. How much that movie sucked. I did finally see Austin Powers later on, when I was bored and nothing else was on…and _I LOVED it_. I laughed most of the time and have now seen it many times. I love it, along with the two sequels. ---
**Author:** ![urban1a](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e47c2d/32.png) [@urban1a](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/urban1a)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2014, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-have-watched-with-low-expectations-only-to-be-surprised-by-how-much-you-like-them/686609/133 "2014-05-04T01:56:23Z")
Among others, probably, for me it was [Rocky Horror Picture Show](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073629/). I had started watching it once but couldn’t sit through it (I think I left or shut it off when Frank was coming down in the elevator). Anyway, in a different time and a different mood, I watched it all the way through and throughly enjoyed it the many times I have watched it since. I have also been to one theater performance but have never attended a midnight showing. Bob ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2014, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-have-watched-with-low-expectations-only-to-be-surprised-by-how-much-you-like-them/686609/134 "2014-05-04T13:13:09Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > I can now add to this thread _August: Osage County_. Wow, what a great movie! No shit. / said not sarcastically. We saw the original play, and were bored to tears. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2014, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-have-watched-with-low-expectations-only-to-be-surprised-by-how-much-you-like-them/686609/135 "2014-05-04T14:51:01Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > Harold and Kumar go to White Castle: I saw it on a list of good independent films, thought it sounded like B-grade, teen-aimed, formulaic, dumbass, crap, but I was working my way through the whole list so I watched it. I loved it. It combines silly, surreal incidents with likeable and believable main protagonists. First, I want to thank you for this recommendation. I have three boxes of unsorted DVDs that I haven’t watched and was going through them with my wife, and when I saw this title I immediately put it in the ‘too dumb to watch’ category. Mrs. G suggested otherwise and based upon the 'Yes, dear" factor and your post, we watched it last night. It was pretty dang funny. Rather surprisingly so. It was weird to see John Cho playing any other role than that of the new Star Trek’s Hikaro Sulu. Second, speaking of which, one of my best friends totally hated the new Star Trek and suggested I not watch it. However as a Trekker of the first generation, I felt it was my duty to watch it. It was great. So, does Star Trek (2009) count? I know quite a few other old-school Trek fans who refused to even acknowledge its existence. I suppose if someone were to remake Star Wars - A New Hope, there would be quite a bit of outrage, so perhaps it is not too surprising that the new Trek was treated by some with all the regard as week old fish stew. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2014, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-have-watched-with-low-expectations-only-to-be-surprised-by-how-much-you-like-them/686609/136 "2014-05-04T15:01:20Z")
For a very recent example: The Amazing Spider Man 2. I started a thread [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=722505). I was shocked how much I enjoyed it after thinking the first one was not great but it looks like I was the only one. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2014, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-have-watched-with-low-expectations-only-to-be-surprised-by-how-much-you-like-them/686609/137 "2014-05-04T15:03:15Z")
> [@Gagundathar](#): > > Mrs. G suggested otherwise and based upon the 'Yes, dear" factor and your post, we watched it last night. Ohhhh, that “Yes, dear” factor; it can move mountains. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-have-watched-with-low-expectations-only-to-be-surprised-by-how-much-you-like-them/686609/138 "2014-05-07T03:06:36Z")
> [@Penfeather](#): > > Speaking of del Toro, I was amazed at just how clever _Pacific Rim_ was. Everything - the plot, the characters, the dilaogue - was so perfectly stylised to make the perfect live–action cartoon. I was expecting dumb but fun, I got smart and fun. Yes! I told a buddy of mine, who loves to nitpick during the movies, to just go with it: “You can come up with a dozen different reasons they could use conventional weapons over hyper-expensive robots. But then you wouldn’t have a movie with robots vs monsters.” ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-have-watched-with-low-expectations-only-to-be-surprised-by-how-much-you-like-them/686609/139 "2014-05-07T15:49:15Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > I was shocked how much I enjoyed it after thinking the first one was not great but it looks like I was the only one. That’s okay. I walked out of _Star Trek: Nemesis_ declaring it to be the best Trek film since _Wrath of Khan_. My enthusiasm has, let’s just say, _moderated significantly_ since then. ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-have-watched-with-low-expectations-only-to-be-surprised-by-how-much-you-like-them/686609/140 "2014-05-07T21:52:21Z")
One I just thought of — _Thursday_, starring Thomas Jane, Aaron Eckhart, Paulina Porizkova, and Mickey Rourke. Seems like a strong cast now, but at the time (1998), I didn’t know most of them. It just came on some movie channel, and I was too lazy to change the station, so I watched it with no expectations whatever. Turned out to be very entertaining, though it won’t make any all-time lists. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-have-watched-with-low-expectations-only-to-be-surprised-by-how-much-you-like-them/686609.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-you-have-watched-with-low-expectations-only-to-be-surprised-by-how-much-you-like-them/686609.md?page=8)